NCAA Basketball Tournament Preview

Can I just say that I love this time of the year? There is no better time in sports than the month of March. Excitement builds with each game until its torrid creshendo in early April. I'm taking off a couple days to bask in the glory of it all. Below is my notes on the most important aspects of this weekend's games.




Georgia's entrance into the NCAA tournament ranks up there as the most unbelivable sequences of events in the history of college basketball. They were horrible this year, 4-12 in the SEC. That's why they were playing the late game on Friday. But because of tornado, which was an unbelivable scene in and of itself, the game gets pushed to noon. Leaving one team with the uninviable task of playing two games in one day to get to the finals. It was unbelivable to see Zac Swansey hit a turnaround three pointer to win against Kentucy. It was even more unbelivable to watch them outlast Miss. St. There's no way they can take an Arkansas team that just knocked off no. 5 Tennessee. Is it? Well, when they jumped out on Arkansas early you knew something could happen. The Hogs came back but I never felt that they were going to overtake UGA. It's an unbelievable run and with a very beatable Xavier team ahead of them, it could continue.

Who should be pissed right now?

Arizona St. - They definitely have an argument because Arizona got in but I want people to stop beleguering the point. It's over now, let it go! Arizona is good but they should have had a tougher non-conference. If they do well next year, they committee will make up for this year's mistake.

Virginia Tech- Thought they have been there because they were one of the top four teams in the ACC. I think when it comes down to it they didn't have enough quality wins. I though playing Carolina close would have been enough but I guess not.

The Games

UGA v. Xavier- Can the Dogs keep that momentum going. I don't think they can. Xavier is team built for the tournement with defense stopper Stanley Burrell and point guard Drew Lavendar, they will be ready to play. It is a tremendous story but I think the ride is done.

K-State v. USC- This is considered by many to be the game of the day with future NBA ballers O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley going head to head. Advantage USC, while Beasley will do better today and better in the pros, Mayo has a better supporting cast. Look for Beasley to get his point and this to be a good game but USC to move away over the course of the game.

UK v. Marq- It's going to come down to guard play. Adavantage Marquette. Joe Crawford and Rameel Bradley are good but they can't match Damion James and Jereel McNeal over the course of a game. Should be a great one but look for James to come up big down the stretch